The data collected by Nomisma with a research focused on young people but not only, show how the challenge to Fortune remains one of the passions of Belpaese. In 2020, the volume of gambling reached 88.38 billion euros, a figure equal to the sum of the average monthly income of 51.1 million Italians. Earnings amounted to 75.36 billion euros, with a net loss of 13.02 billion. According to observers of the phenomenon, card games and skill games are especially popular, such as those offered by one of the leading Italian regulated operators that offers all variants of gaming in a safe and secure environment, which makes it the ideal place to play. online poker having fun. In addition, the poker industry is the main source of revenue with 37.5 billion euros. This is followed by slot machines, sports betting, such as horse racing (over $ 11.34 billion), lotteries and scratch cards, virtual betting, and finally Bingo.
The ranking of Italian regions
The region that leads the rankings of the game at the physical level is Lombardy, followed by Campania, Lazio and Emilia Romagna. In Sicily, on the other hand, in recent years, online gaming has gained popularity, especially. So much so that the region is the third in the ranking by number of active players in online-only platforms, behind only the aforementioned Campania and Lombardy. Some argue that the low cost of living in Sicily could leave more room to invest in this type of business, while many are convinced that the success of online gaming has been facilitated by the new regional law, which has changed the rules for arcades. and imposed a number of constraints. In this article we will look at these obstacles that have arisen in the face of potential investors and players.
The new regulations encourage online
Recently, the opening of other betting centers and the new installation of gaming equipment, which, among other things, must be placed at a distance of less than 300 meters (for municipalities with less than 50,000 inhabitants) or 500 meters (for municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants) from a number of sensitive places. These are schools, places of worship, health and hospital facilities, including those dedicated to the reception, care and recovery of people suffering from any form of addiction or in particular conditions of social discomfort, places of youth aggregation , including sports facilities; barracks, nursing homes and cemeteries. Secondary municipalities have been given the option to identify other sensitive sites and further reduce the number of existing gaming rooms in their territory, taking into account that the regulations will not have retroactive effect and will have to safeguard existing activities.
With online, you avoid travel
The region has also created a list of people who want to be banned from gambling with cash winnings, who must voluntarily sign up if they feel they can’t handle this recreational activity to the fullest. Another mechanism developed by the Region concerns the creation of a toll-free number for reports and requests for information and procedures. In general, however, the reduction in physical rooms imposed by the new law has been the element that has pushed Sicilians to cultivate their passion for online gaming, the only thing that can be practiced from home, at any time, with any formula and tool, without the need for too much travel or travel abroad, which in the past had created a real form of tourism to Malta. After all, the game has always been much loved by Italians and can be considered as a potential element of economic interest for those who decide to invest in it.
The guarantees of online platforms
According to some recent statistics, one in three Sicilians has played slot machines or a casino game at least once. From the beginning of 2020 until the first half of 2022, the passion for remote gaming has reached its peak, with over 7 billion euros spent on this type of activity, of which 74.5 percent in online gaming . The feeling is that after this first transfer to the remote game, which was the result of the forced closure of the premises due to force majeure, the Sicilians no longer intend to reverse course and return to playing these games physically. It has been noticed that many people prefer to use the platforms available online rather than the physical game, as this can ensure security, convenience and versatility as long as the game is provided by reliable and legalized sites. In addition, thanks to the development of artificial intelligence and its applications, online platforms do not lack truthfulness and fun typical of real experience. It is also safer to rely on experts such as sites that offer the ability to play in multiplayer mode or, as mentioned earlier, online with strangers. These platforms, in fact, choose to invest in the continuous improvement of their games to ensure their users that the games in which they take part are safe and that, above all, the winnings are guaranteed to the best player. This removes the possibility that some of them may try to use tricks or bluffs.
In Synthesis
It has therefore been analyzed how gambling in general – and gambling in particular – have attracted many players in recent times and among these, Sicilians are certainly among the most active online. A good result considering the new law that unfortunately does not allow you to have any type of gambling near certain places. In all of this, however, a positive loophole has been the fact that many of these new players have decided to stop being part of recreational tourism, but to contribute to the local economy through the use of these online games.
